Robert Rodriguez-led cabler preps for soft bow next month with slate curated by helmer

El Rey is set for a soft launch next month with acquired programming — a slate of movies and TV shows selected by Rodriguez (word has it “Starsky and Hutch” is among the titles).

The series adaptation of “Dusk Till Dawn,” inspired by Rodriguez’s 1996 feature starring George Clooney and Harvey Keitel, will roll out in the first quarter when the full-bore marketing push for the channel begins.

El Rey was among the minority-owned networks that landed a carriage deal with Comcast, as part of the FCC’s conditions for approving the cable operator’s 2011 buyout of NBCUniversal. Rodriguez and his partners in FactoryMade Ventures also have corporate backing from Univision, which owns a minority stake in El Rey.

“Dusk Till Dawn” is lensing in Rodriguez’s home base of Austin, Texas. Also joining the cast in key roles are Madison Davenport, Brandon Soo Hoo and Eiza Gonzalez.